


Searching For Balance

by DarkestSight (Daylight)



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:21:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29480598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daylight/pseuds/DarkestSight
Summary: A little hurt/comfort missing scene from the season two episodeGorilla Warfareset right after Harry and Cisco save Caitlin from Grodd.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Searching For Balance

“Of all the...” A series of creative and rather explicit curses came from the passenger seat of the S.T.A.R. Labs van. 

Caitlin, who was riding in the back, lifted her eyebrows, impressed. It seemed the people of Earth-2 were quite inventive when it came to swearing, or at least, this particular one was. 

“You alright there, Harry?” asked Cisco, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to glance at the man beside him. 

“I’m fine,” Harry grumbled as he squirmed about in his seat.

“Really? Because it seems like you’ve got some serious ants in your pants there.”

Harry scowled at him.

The three were on their way back to the lab, the panic from their earlier misadventure fading now that they were finally safe and no longer being pursued by a giant angry gorilla. 

Shifting his weight again, Harry tugged at the yellow suit he wore. “It’s this infernal torture device I seem to be trapped in. Honestly, could that Dr. Wells of yours have made this suit any less comfortable?”

“That is a high-tech suit from the future specifically designed to meet a speedster’s every need,” explained Cisco. “It’s not Wells’ fault it’s giving your fat ass a wedgie.”

Harry raised his eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

The idea that the lean and lanky Harry Wells’ behind was anything other than skin and bone was laughable, and Caitlin might well have laughed, if she wasn’t currently just as focused on the suit as Harry was. 

For a few seconds there, she’d actually believed Thawne had returned. 

When Harry had entered Grodd’s hideout in that yellow suit, she had been convinced it was him, so convinced she’d found herself instinctively backing away, a wave of ice sweeping over her. It wasn’t until Harry winked at her that she’d realized their old enemy, their old mentor hadn’t come back to haunt them. 

Caitlin took a deep breath and forced herself to look away from the suit.

She'd thought she had gotten used to the cognitive dissonance of Harry looking and sounding so much like their Dr. Wells, but apparently she hadn’t. Her body still felt tense from the icy chill which had gripped her. She was definitely having nightmares that night and they weren’t going to be about giant telepathic gorillas. 

“Where’d you find that suit anyway?” she asked.

“In a ring,” Harry and Cisco replied in unison, then turned frowning at each other.

“Another ring? Dr. Wells had two of them?”

Cisco tore his gaze away from his and Harry’s staring match to look back at the road. “Yeah, we found this one hidden in the time vault. I thought the thing was empty, but then whoosh, this suit shot out.”

Caitlin gave a snort. “That must have been a bit of a surprise.”

“I believe there was some screaming involved,” Harry helpfully provided.

Cisco rolled his eyes. “Okay, so I may have yelled a little.”

“More than a little.” Harry shifted in his seat once more, his hand reaching around to hold his side as his mouth turned downward in a grimace.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” asked Caitlin, leaning forward to get a better look at him.

“I’m fine.”

“That was quite some hit you took. I should really look you over when we get back.”

“I said I’m fine,” Harry insisted. “I just need to get out of this suit. If that’s actually possible that is.”

“Oh, I can help you with that,” said Cisco.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I’ve got a blowtorch that should work perfectly. I’ll have you free in no time.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

The two continued to bicker throughout the rest of the journey. Caitlin couldn’t help noticing though that their barbs didn’t have the same bite they used to. Something had changed between them. It was subtle but there was a definite difference from how they’d been acting that morning when Cisco had been so keen to see this new Dr. Wells off.

She also couldn’t help noticing that despite Harry’s insistence that he was fine, his hand continued to stray to his side whenever the van took a sharp turn or stopped too abruptly. Stubbornness was apparently one trait he did share with the other Wells. She made a mental note to keep an eye on him.

That, however, was easier said than done. 

As soon as they reached the lab and the van stopped, Harry was out and heading towards his room, striding swiftly along on his long legs. 

“Let me know if you need that blowtorch,” Cisco yelled after him.

Caitlin followed as quickly as she could, but when she passed the entrance to the cortex, she was accosted by a group of very relieved people including, to her surprise, Barry’s father. Somehow Harry had managed to sneak past. She wasn’t so lucky. 

“I’m okay,” she told them once the hugs were over with.

“You sure?” asked Iris, placing a hand on her arm.

Caitlin nodded. “Grodd didn’t want to hurt me. He wanted my help.”

Barry’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “Your help? Help with what?”

“I can’t imagine it was for anything good,” said Joe.

Caitlin knew they were bursting with questions and she knew they needed to figure out how to deal with Grodd as soon as possible, but her earlier concerns still nagged her. 

“Could you hold that thought?” she said, raising a finger. “I need to check on Harry.” 

And she was out of the cortex before anyone could say another word.

The room Harry was staying in was on the other side of the building, a former office turned storage room now serving as his temporary residence. It wasn’t much but Harry didn’t seem to mind. The decision to let him stay at S.T.A.R Labs had been a surprisingly easy one. After all, it wasn’t as if he could rent a place in Central City while wearing the face of a self-confessed murderer, and with none of the team willing to welcome him into their homes, that left the lab as the only option. 

Caitlin and Barry’s decision, though, had been made chiefly out of practicality and kindness while Cisco and Joe’s had had more to do with the old saying about keeping enemies closer.

Caitlin knocked on the door. “Dr. Wells?” Without bothering to wait for a reply, she went inside.

Harry stood in the middle of the room clad only in boxers and bare feet, the yellow suit lying strewn haphazardly on the floor. His state of undress didn’t concern Caitlin though. She was much more concerned by the wad of paper towel he had pressed to his side and the bright splash of blood across it.

“I knew it,” she said as she quickly crossed the room. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“Do you mind?” said Harry, more annoyed than embarrassed.

Caitlin ignored him. “Let me see.”

Harry held up a hand, backing away. “It’s nothing, just a scratch. You don’t have to...”

But Caitlin was undeterred, already reaching for the paper towel and pulling it back.

The cut on Harry’s side was long and ragged, but thankfully, not too deep and bleeding only sluggishly.

“This scratch of yours needs cleaning and stitching,” said Caitlin. “How’d it happen anyway?”

Harry snorted. “Turns out this oh-so special suit”—he gestured at the crumpled garment on the floor—“might be great for speeding speedsters but not so great at keeping out shards of glass.” He grimaced. “I broke a few beakers on my brief flight through the air and was unlucky enough to land on their remains.”

“That would do it,” said Caitlin, nodding. “You should have said something.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “It’s not like it’s going to kill me.”

“Tell me that after it gets infected and you start leaking pus all over the place.”

Harry let out a sigh but didn’t argue.

“I should check you for other injuries. You didn’t hit your head, did you?”

“No,” replied Harry, peevishly, apparently having resigned himself to the examination.

Caitlin inspected his back and chest noting several red marks which would soon bloom into dark purple bruises. Luckily though, there didn’t appear to be any more lacerations. She began probing for more serious injuries.

Scowling, Harry flinched away from her touch. “Anyone ever tell you you have cold hands?”

“All the time,” Caitlin replied. “Now stay still.” She was used to stubborn patients, but Harry was proving to be one of the worst.

When she pressed against Harry’s ribs, he flinched again, but this time it wasn’t because of her cold fingers.

“I’m pretty sure your ribs are bruised not broken, but we should get them x-rayed just to be sure.” She held up a hand before he could say anything. “And don’t even try to argue with me about this one. You know as well as I do that this sort of injury can lead to a collapsed lung and that definitely would kill you, and we can’t have that, can we?”

Harry stared at her, an odd somewhat puzzled expression on his face.

“Come on,” she said, gently. “Let’s get you fixed up.” She took a hold of his arm preparing to lead him to the cortex, or drag him as the need may be.

“Uh, Snow?”

Already facing the exit, Caitlin turned back towards Harry. “Yes?”

“Can I at least put some pants on first?”

“Oh.” Caitlin’s cheeks reddened as she recalled Harry was only in his boxers. “Right, yes, I’ll just...” She quickly let go of his arm and turned around so he could have some privacy to get dressed.

Staring at the wall, she listened to Harry as he shuffled about accompanied by the rustling of clothing. After a few moments, it grew silent and when the silence stretched on for too long, she turned back around. 

Harry was once more wearing pants along with a black undershirt, but only one sock. He sat on the edge of his bed, arm wrapped around his ribs, features pale as he scowled down at his shoes and the remaining sock.

Caitlin winced in sympathy. “Bruised ribs can be a bitch,” she said. “Here let me help you.”

Kneeling down, she put on his other sock for him and his shoes, tying each one with a neat bow. When she was done, she looked up to see Harry staring at her with that same puzzled expression.

“Thank you,” he said. He said it awkwardly as if it wasn’t something he was used to saying.

“No problem,” Caitlin replied as she got back to her feet. “You’re going to have to take it easy for a bit but I can give you some stuff to help with the pain.”

“That would be good.” 

That admission and Harry’s sudden willingness to accept help probably meant he was in even more pain than he was letting on. Ignoring the face he made as she invaded his personal space once more, Caitlin leaned over and lifted up his shirt to get another look at his cut.

The wound was bleeding more freely now. Harry’s efforts to get dressed having reopened it.

Caitlin grabbed some paper towel from a pile Harry had placed nearby.

“Here,” she said, handing it to him. “You need to keep pressure on that. We need to stop the bleeding, or at least, slow it down some more before I can stitch you up.”

“Yes, doctor,” replied Harry, sarcastically, but he did as he was told.

Caitlin swatted him lightly on the shoulder.

He glared at her, scowling like an affronted cat.

“Move over,” she said.

Sighing, Harry shifted to one side and let her sit beside him on the bed.

They sat there in silence awhile and Caitlin took the opportunity to look around the room. The place remained as stark as when it had just been a storeroom. Besides the bed they were on, no more than a cot really, the only signs anyone was staying there were Harry’s backpack which had been dumped on the floor and an empty mug on his makeshift bedside table. The rest of the room was filled with crates of various sizes and large screens covered in sheets, nothing that gave any sense of home. 

She supposed Harry didn’t really care about such things. He didn’t seem to care much about anything other than finding his daughter these days. 

Except that wasn’t true was it? If he didn’t care about anything else, then she would still be Grodd’s prisoner.

“That was very brave of you,” she said, “you know, coming after me, facing down Grodd.”

Harry acknowledged the compliment with a nod, keeping his gaze on the far wall.

“Why did you do it?”

His face scrunched up in a complicated expression, mouth opening and closing wordless several times, before he finally turned to her and asked in turn, “Why did you come after me?”

Caitlin blinked. Why had she come after him? Why had she been so insistent he stay when everyone else was content for him to leave? When he first arrived, she had been as reluctant to trust him as Cisco and Joe, but now... 

Maybe it was the anguish in his voice when he had told them about Zoom taking his daughter, the oh-so familiar heartbreak. 

Or maybe it was because she so badly wanted him to be a good man. 

Because if there was any sort of balance in this messed-up universe, the one that took away the love of her life and gave him back only to take him away again, the one that had revealed her mentor and father figure to be an evil psychopath, then this cantankerous and sarcastic Harrison Wells would turn out to be the sort of man she had believed the other to be.

“I think we need each other,” was all she said with a shrug of her shoulders. 

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as if he didn’t quite believe her, but before he could say anything, they were interrupted.

“You guys having a moment or something?” asked a voice from the doorway.

The two looked up to see Cisco standing there.

Harry sighed. “Don’t tell me you came to check on me too?”

“Please,” said Cisco as if that was the most ridiculous notion in the world, “I just wanted see if my blowtorch was needed.” He cast his gaze at the yellow suit on the floor. “And it looks like I missed my chance.”

Caitlin shook her head, an amused smile tugging at her lips. “Harry’s going to be fine by the way. He just needs a few stitches.”

“Really? Oh, that’s good,” Cisco said, a tad too casually.

He walked over to the suit and picked it up. He held it at arm’s length between his thumb and forefinger as if afraid it would bite him.

“I think it’s about time we incinerated this evil piece of garbage.”

“Now that,” said Harry, “is something I would definitely pay to see.”

Their eyes met, the two for once on the exact same page.

“I’d better check with Barry first, see if he needs it for anything.” Cisco started heading out of the room, still holding the suit at arm’s length. “You guys coming?” he called back to them. “In case you’ve forgotten, there’s a bunch of worried people in the cortex who’d really like to know what the hell is going on, not to mention a certain wayward gorilla that needs taking care of.”

Caitlin winced. She had forgotten.

Getting up, she offered a hand to Harry. “Come on,” she said. “Time we got going.”

Harry stared at the hand for a moment as if uncertain whether to accept it, then reaching out, he clasped Caitlin’s hand with his and let her pull him to his feet.


End file.
